Pages

June 20, 2009

G68: Red Sox 3, Atlanta 0

Beckett did not allow an Atlanta runner to second base until there was one out in the eighth inning. At one point, he retired 17 of 18 batters. Pitches by inning:

14-8-12 12-11-9 13-10-5

The Red Sox hit five doubles off Lowe (6.1-7-3-1-2, 110). Back-to-back two-baggers from Jason Varitek and Nick Green with two out in the fifth broke the scoreless tie. J.D. Drew doubled to start the sixth and scored on Kevin Youkilis's single. In the seventh, Varitek doubled (again!) with one out, took third on Green's single, and scored on Dustin Pedroia's fielder's choice.

David Ortiz had the other double, which he golfed to dead center field in the second inning. The ball hit the wall just below the camera porch.

The last time Lowe was on the Fenway Park mound was in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. His last appearance in the park was the following April when he received his World Series ring. His 2009 game log is here.

Extra Bases:Daisuke Matsuzaka will miss at least his next start in the rotation, and an MRI and other tests could be performed on the struggling righthander's shoulder, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said Saturday afternoon.

1894 - Denny Lyons scores the winning run in the 9th inning to lead Pittsburgh to a 7-6 win over Washington. Lyons gets into scoring position by running from first to third -- across the pitcher's mound -- on a fielder's choice. The umpire did not see Lyons's transgression, a common one in the 1890s.

1916 - Tilly Walker's home run over the LF wall is the only home run the Red Sox will hit at Fenway this season; Boston beats the Yankees 4-1.

1965 - The Atlanta-bound Braves ban sportswriter Lou Chapman from the clubhouse for his "stories of a negative nature" and their "disquieting" effect on players and management. The ban is rescinded a day later upon protest by Milwaukee BBWAA members.

1980 - Freddie Patek, one of the smallest players of his era (5-4), hits three home runs and a double in California's 20-2 rout of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Patek will end the year with five homers.

There are fans in and around NY trying to make something of the fact that Pedro in pinstripes would drive us crazy. I don't know about everyone, but for me, it would not mean much. We have already faced him wearing a NY uniform (albeit the Mets uniform, a team with which, despite 1986, there is no special anguish). He left here yelling and screaming, acting as if something bad had been done to him, and most of us did not think so. He's gone. He was great when he was here, but that was that.

I say that tonight, because D-Lowe presents a different circumstance. He was part of us for so long---not exactly homegrown but close enough. We rode his ups and downs but his ups, especially in the 2003 LDS against Oakland, and his crucial role in each series of the 2004 post season, were memorable and something for which we will all be permanently grateful.

When he was asked to close, he did and he did so wonderfully. His off the field stuff may have been weird (and I gather from his discussions on the pregame last night about how great Cox and Torre are made me think that he and Terry may not be on each other's dance card) and I do not question management's decision not to resign him in 2005 or this winter, but I cannot get any head of steam about beating him tonight, though, of course, I hope we do.

Dwight Evans showed up in Fenway in an Orioles uniform, and Luis even showed up in pinstripes and we forgave both of them. We had to put up with Pudge (ours, not the guy on Houston) in someone else's uniform, and when Lynn and Rice went back to back in the All Star game but Freddy was wearing an Angels uniform it was both a great moment and a painful one. It was odd seeing Nomar on another team, playing against us a few months ago, but not as conflicting as this one is.

So, yes, I am looking forward to seeing an old friend tonight. I hope we beat him, but, well, the whole thing is tough for me.

Everyone has their own players that it's hard to see in another uniform. I'm alright with it as long as I agree with the decision to let them go (Pedro in a Mets uni was fine). MFY uniforms are a different story, though.

So let Lowe and Beckett duel 0-0 thru 8.5 and the Sox can win it on a walkoff.

An introductory french exam (I took french for 9 years in elementary school + 1 yr of highschool) so it was already pretty easy. But they let you have a freakin dictionary in the exam! A dictionary that has a ton of other supplementary info that was tested. It was great.

There were only a few thousand people left in the crowd by the end of the game. But it seemed like anyone who stayed past 13 or 14 innings was there for the duration.

We sat the whole time with a man from Halifax. I asked him if he spoke French (not realizing where Halifax was, and that no one there speaks French) and he looked at me like I asked him if he hung around playgrounds looking for little boys to molest.

Also, the concession stands all closed and we were SO hungry! We had food in the fridge at our B&B, but when we finally made it back there, the host had locked everything up!

Allan was the same way! Growing up in Northern Vermont, he also was under the impression more of Canada was French-speaking.

However... I found out that many people outside North America have that impression. When we were in Peru - our first time travelling since moving to Canada - everyone would ask we're from. When we said we were from Canada, people automatically asked (in Spanish), Canada French or Canada English?